Students increasingly are interested in their schools' commitment to environmental responsibility, according to the two organizations.

“In fact, 64 percent of the nearly 12,000 college applicants and parents who participated in our recent College Hopes & Worries Survey said having information about a school’s commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend it," said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher, The Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review has worked with the USGBC since 2008 to create a "Green Rating" for all of the nearly 700 schools in its annual guidebook. The Green Rating is a numerical scale from 60-99, which is based on a variety of data. The 268 schools in the green guide received scores in the 80th percentile or higher.

"Higher education is a top priority market segment for USGBC because graduates of green colleges become incredible drivers of change when they call for similar surroundings in their jobs and communities," said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chair, USGBC.